Steve Hansen admits he was "surprised" with his Australian counterpart's selection of James O’Connor at centre, and that him and Samu Kerevi make a dangerous midfield combo.
“It’s gonna be interesting,” the All Blacks coach told media today of the clash.
“He’s a jack-in-the-box - he’ll need to be looked after.”
Hansen was full of praise for the Australians today. If there is one team to really threaten the All Blacks, it will have to be the men across the ditch, he said.
“I’ve always thought they’re a very good rugby side,” he said.
“Not necessarily do they get credit on what they do or how they play.
“If you look at our last 10 years, they’ve been the one team that have been able to either beat us or draw with us.
“Sometimes, yes, we’ve beaten them by quite a margin, but they’re always tough games,” Hansen added.
The Kiwi coach suggested the upcoming Test against rivals Australia will be different. With both teams having a couple of games to prepare, the result, he predicted, will come down to whichever team's combinations are working properly.
The Bledisloe Cup clash with the Wallabies takes place Saturday in Perth.
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